A Resurrected Retreat

Local Color

That N’awlins love shines through in several aspects of Le Jardin. The menu is built around the sights, sounds and tastes of its city. Services include All that Jazz (80 min./$125; $155 off-site), a body treatment using grapes and sugar cane to “make skin sparkle like the city’s music,” and Café au Lait (70 min./$130; $145 off-site), an antiaging facial described as “better than a shot of espresso from the French Market.” (With Le Jardin’s clients comprising two distinct groups—area residents and tourists—the staff worked to develop treatments that carried sufficient New Orleans flair to attract visitors, yet wouldn’t seem too cheesy to locals.)

Le Jardin’s interior design also pays homage to the French and Spanish heritages characterizing the city with a clean, simple and classic aesthetic. While the current space features only 750 square feet (the spa is currently undergoing renovations to quadruple its size), its three treatment rooms and single mani/pedi station feel quite spacious thanks to Le Jardin’s open, tropical feel.

Plus, guests can literally taste New Orleans at this spa. Le Jardin recently teamed up with Avenue Plaza’s award-winning Mr. John’s Steakhouse, housed in the same building. “At first I was a little skeptical because you don’t think of a steakhouse when you think of spa,” Cuartas says. “But then I tried all of the restaurant’s salads and we were able to create a lighter menu featuring lunch fare.” Between services, clients can now sup on soups and salads (served by Mr. John’s staffers) on Le Jardin’s balmy balcony as they watch streetcars traverse historic Saint Charles Avenue.